Chapter Two: Framed

Nyx’s POV

Ring ring ring.

I turned in my sleep. What the hell was making that noise?

“Turn it off!” I mumbled, burying my head further into the pillow. But that did not stop the incessant sound from reaching my ears.

‘I swear I would break my maid’s bones if she does not turn this off this minute,’ I cursed in my mind.

Wait...I do not own an alarm clock.

At that realisation, my eyes flung open and the strange looking ceiling greeted them. The alarm clock had automatically turned off as I woke up and I checked my bedside table to find nothing on it.

Where did the clock go? Where am I? I wondered, looking around the room.

There was another bed on the opposite wall but there was also no occupant in it. The walls were a dark red with shelves lining them.

A shoe rack stood by the door and two inbuilt wardrobes stood at the foot of each bed.

A study desk and chair each sat by the window at the end of the passageway between the beds.

It dawned on me then that I was at the academy, in the dorm room Aunty Gacia had assigned to me last night. My unpacked suitcases were at the foot of my bed.

I should unpack soon, I reminded myself.

The entrance swung open and a girl about my age waltzed in with a towel wrapped around her torso. She paused to only shut the door and walk to her wardrobe.

Her wet golden locks and porcelain skin glistened in the light. She had the face of an angel and her pouty lips drew down in a frown when she turned around and her sapphire eyes rested on me.

“Quit staring,” she grumbled. I felt my cheeks flame and I gave a shy smile. “Sorry.” I rubbed my nape and lowered my eyes.

I heard the ruffling of hangers and materials rubbing against each other as she rummaged through her space.

This was awkward. I knew I was supposed to say something, but what do I say?

“Ummm...” I cleared my throat. “I am your roommate.” I started. When she did not say anything, I continued. “I came in last night. You were asleep.”

She closed her wardrobe and I saw black clothes hanging on the crook of her arm as she placed them on the bed. She still had not said a word to me. At this point, I wondered if she was ignoring me intentionally or I was not just speaking loud enough.

“I am Nyx. And you are?” I asked, hoping she would say something. I hated being ignored. It was something I was not used to.

“Fuck off.” She said calmly, but I could feel the threat oozing from those words.

Just great! I had a bitchy roommate. Wonderful way to start my first school year.

“Fine,” I returned the energy, getting out of bed. “But could you point me to the bathroom first before you go all cuckoo on me that you have never met in your life?”

Her eyes sparked as she shot me dagger stares.

“Whatever,” I rolled my eyes at her and walked to the door.

If anything was going to make sense to me in this place, I had to meet up with Aunty Gacia first. She had asked me to meet up with her anyway.

As I shut the door, I caught a glimpse of my roomie jabbing a wand on her clothings causing them to appear on her body.

Nice. My roommate was some goddamn witch.

A witch who seemed not to like me. I was not sure if I should be happy or scream bloody murder. What if she turned me into a frog tonight? I had to speak to Aunty Gacia about that too.

The hallway was empty and a long way down on both sides. The floors were rugged with red and the walls bore beautiful mural paintings.

Which way was it again? I wondered as I looked both ways and tried to recall how my aunt had led me here.

Instinctively, I took my left. I passed a series of closed doors with room numbers emblazoned on them. I had forgotten to check mine.

After walking for a while, I found a stairway towards the end of the hallway. Looking down, I found more stairways leading down. Jeez! How high was this floor?

“Nyx,” I recognized my aunt’s cheery tone behind me.

“Hi Aunty Gacia.” I smiled as I turned around.

She was dressed in a dark blue denim jacket with a matching ruffle skirt and white sneakers. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail.

And here I was, in the same clothes from yesterday. “I asked you to come by the office.” She said,

“Yes. You see, I should have been there by now. If only I knew the way and had not gotten lost.” I shrugged.

She chuckled. “You will get used to the place soon. Come on.” She urged me and I followed her further down the hallway to a door that sparkled and chimed.

“Open sesame,” she sang and the door slid open.

“Woah!” I could not stop the gasp that escaped my lips in awe.

We walked in and the door slid close.

“Proprietress office please.” My aunt said and the door opened again. When we walked out, I immediately recognized the floor we were on. It was Aunty Gacia’s office.

“Wow.”

“There is one magical elevator in every hallway. All you have to do is look for the sparkly door. You will not ever get lost in those, okay?” She told me while sitting in her chair.

“Aunty Gacia, that is some awesome shit.” I gushed.

“Language,” she warned, drawing down her brows. “And while you are here, it is Miss Pendleton to you. No one must know we are related. Okay?”

I gulped and nodded. My bubbly aunt was gone. Instead, the strict teacher whom no one liked and would not want to get in her bad books replaced her.

“Good.” Then she smiled. “Only when we are outside the office though. So tell me, how has your day been so far?” She asked as she searched through the pile of papers on her desk.

“Pretty great. And thank you for the bitchy witch of a roommate you paired me up with. It was a delight to wake up to a grumpy face.” I said snidely.

“But Narin is a nice girl.”

“She fooled you,” I retorted, watching her pull out two thick papers.

“I am sure you both would work things out eventually,” she responded and I snorted in disbelief. Would we?

Holding up the papers, she said. “This is the map of the academy. And this is your schedule for the semester. Classes are not meant to be missed and orders are not meant to be flouted under any circumstance.”

“But what if I am ordered to transform?” I asked, reducing my tone by a notch in case anyone was eavesdropping.

“There are no classes that require you to do that in your schedule for now. I will train you on awakening your wolf and I will relay to you when those extra classes would be. Understood?” She instructed sternly.

I frowned. Aunt Gacia was no shifter. How was she going to teach me how to shift?

Almost as if she was reading my mind, she looked up with a knowing smile, “I have someone that can teach you,”

“Yes, Aunty Gacia.” I said.

“Also, your phone has been taken away, after you have been assigned a student card, your altered mobile device with all of your schedule would be handed over to you,”

“Altered device?” I didn’t even think that we would be allowed access to technology here.

“The humans are moving fast, it’s only smart to make sure that our children are up to date on the things they do, this way, you don’t get left behind. However, the devices you would be giving would be restricted to several sites to make sure that we can still maintain our secrecy,”

Her explanation made a lot of sense and a part of me looked forward to it. Surely, there would be music at the very least on it right?

“Okay, I’m anxious to see it,”

“Good.” She clicked a button and spoke into the microphone that sprung out of her desk at the action. “Can Penelope Sylva come to my office right away?”

Almost immediately, a blonde girl came in through the magical elevator. I had forgotten my leg were stretched out before me and Penelope tripped on my foot, almost bashing her head against the desk.

I jumped to my feet instantly, holding her up. “I am so sorry. I didn't mean to. Are you hurt?” I babbled.

She gave me a reassuring smile. “It is alright. I am fine. Thank you.” Then to Aunty Gacia, she said. “You called for me, Miss Pendleton.”

“Yes, Penelope. Nyx is a new student. Show her around.” Strict teacher was back.

“Yes, Miss.” Penelope bowed and beckoned on me to follow her.

With every room we stop at, I am left in awe. This academy was way beyond my expectations. Everything was breathtaking.

And the students all looked normal, but we all knew what we carried inside, what we were capable of- fairies, vampires, witches, wizards, werewolves and mermaids combined.

“Wait...mermaids?!” I could not hide my astonishment.

“Yes. They are our newest additions. They are taught how to turn human once they leave the water so they could lead normal lives like all of us.” Penelope explained.

“What about you? What are you?”

“I am a witch.”

“Oh. You must know Narin then?” I questioned.

“Yea. She is nice. Wild but nice.” The blonde girl opined.

Nice! Was that the new mean? I wanted to ask but decided to shut it.

“And this is the cafeteria.” She announced as we entered the hall filled to the brim with hungry students.

Was it lunchtime already?

All eyes turned to us and everyone froze in their seats, watching me. But even with all the eyes on me, I could not shake off the feeling of being watched by a particular pair of eyes. I had felt it as I followed Penelope out of Aunty Gacia’s office and every time I turned around, I saw nobody.

What was going on?

“Penelope, what are you doing?”A girl approached us.

“I was showing the new student around. Why is everyone staring at us like that?” Penelope inquired, obviously shaken by the attention.

“She is the one.” Her friend whispered, but I picked up the frantic words.

“I do not understand, Rayla.” Penelope was as confused as I was.

Rayla whispered in her ear and Penelope’s widened eyes directed their gaze at me.

“So she did it on purpose.” Penelope said. “She put her legs out for me to fall.” Penelope pointed at me.

“What? I thought we both established that was a mistake.” I defended myself, deeply baffled about the sudden accusation.

“You liar.” Penelope’s eyes had turned vile. “The rumours are true. You are a bitter asshole. A terrible creature.”

“Penelope, you know that is not true,” I took a step towards her.

“Stay away from me, brat!” She yelled and stormed off with her friend.

What just happened? I stood at the entrance, transfixed.

Slowly, everyone resumed what they were doing, totally ignoring me. It was then I realised that everyone had been avoiding me while Penelope showed me around. I had brushed it off as nothing, but it all made sense now.

Someone had been spreading rumours about me. But why? I had not even resumed yet. Who would do such a vile thing?

As if on cue, a deep baritone behind me pulled me out of my thoughts, “If it is not my old friend, Nyx Uren.”

Then a sweet bellow that resounded in the space followed. The chuckle I remembered so well. The deep baritone that belonged to none other than Otis Agni.

My entire body turned stuff from just his voice as I prayed to the moon goddess.

No.. not him, please.